How to Do Anything

Most people don't realize what they are capable of accomplishing. So they don't try things. Whether it's running a marathon, writing a book, learning to play the cello or just asking someone out on a date -- you can do pretty much anything you set your mind to if you follow the steps... and learn to live in peace without the fear of failing.

Steps

Part One of Four:Getting Specific Help

1

Navigate all of your relationship woes! In our Relationships Category, you'll find some of the best, most balanced advice on the web, helping you get and keep your ideal significant other, as well as navigating your way through those tough relationship hurdles.

2

Master computers and electronics. In our Computers and Electronic Category, you'll find how-to's covering nearly every operating system, teaching you how to install, delete, navigate, use, and hack all sorts of equipment.

3

Get jobs, internships, and promotions. In our Work World section, wikiHow offers great information on everything you need to succeed in the work world. From jobs to stress management, we've got you covered.

4

Get advice just for teens and kids. In our Youth section teens and kids get advice just for the problems that affect them! Everything from relationships to school, fashion to your changing body, wikiHow has you covered.

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Make homework or other things relating to school a breeze. In our Education and Communication Category, you can find help with writing, school, the education system and other related topics.

6

Manage your money or start a business! In our Finance and Business Category, we cover budgeting, starting and growing businesses, navigating the stock market, and other useful information.

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Navigate travel problems and set yourself up for a great trip. In our Travel Category, you can find helpful advice for everything from traveling on the cheap to getting around your destination. Since wikiHow is an international community, you can expect great advice from locals and seasoned travelers.

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Part Two of Four:Researching and Understanding

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Decide the most important part. When you decide you want to do something complex or hard to do, the first thing you'll want to do is determine what the most important part of that something is. What is the heart of the matter? This will be what you want to focus your efforts on the most.

For example, if you wanted to learn figure skating, the most important part to learn is how to ice skate.

If you wanted to open a restaurant, the most important part would be to become a good enough cook to keep a restaurant full (if you'd be the chef) or to develop the skills to successfully run that type of business (if you're just the owner).

If you wanted to move to another country, the most important part would be to get yourself a job in that country.

2

Break the task down into secondary parts. Once you've identified the most important part of a task, you'll need to figure out what the supporting skills or tasks are. These will be a sort of secondary focus or, in some cases, the things you have to conquer first on your way to the main goal.

For the ice skating example, the secondary parts would be learning special movements and learning to time your skating to a routine or music.

For the restaurant example, the secondary parts would be things like running the business if you are the head chef or navigating the health codes for either approach.

For the expatriating example, the secondary parts would be things like learning the language, navigating the cultural norms, and making it through the immigration process.

3

Eliminate unnecessary aspects. Before you proceed, you'll want to look at the thing you're trying to do and figure out if there are any parts that are unnecessary. These may be things that are common or that some people say you should do, but really aren't necessary and would distract you from the goal or waste time and money.

For the ice skating example, unnecessary parts would probably be things like getting an outfit or extremely fancy skates. Yes, these are common things but they're really just window dressing.

For the restaurant example, an unnecessary thing would be getting a bunch of extra kitchen gadgets or designer furniture. Gadgets won't serve a purpose if you can do the same act in the same amount of time without them, and good food will go much further than fancy tables to impress customers.

For the expatriating example, unnecessary parts would be things like wearing particular types of clothing or getting into the local pop music.

4

Determine your goals. Decide how far you want to go with this task. Do you want to master it? Is there a level of success with which you would be comfortable settling? You need to know where you reasonably expect to end up, or you'll find yourself feeling aimless and quitting.

5

Identify the necessary skills. Once you've determined what you want to accomplish, start figuring out what skills you'll need in order to do this thing. For sports goals, you'll probably need to work on your physical fitness. For job goals, work on your marketable skills. For our expatriating example above, you're going to need to work on language skills, etc.

6

Plan the steps. Plan out what you'll need to do and in what order. Having a sort of game plan will make it much easier for you to accomplish your task. It will also be useful for checking against sources of information as discussed below.

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Part Three of Four:Learning the Necessary Skills

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Find sources of information about those skills. Find quality sources of information about the skills you need to learn. These sources of information should be reputable and accurate for the subject that they cover. You will need these sources of information to get a better idea of how and what you need to do.

For example, for things like expatriating, you'll want to look at official government websites. For things like sports, look at official association websites. For many crafts and hobbies, there are often dedicated online communities which can help you.

2

Get a mentor. Find someone who is well versed in the thing you are trying to do. They will help you by telling you the information that you can't always easily find on the internet. Asking people nicely for help will often get you off on a start to a good relationship.

3

Consider a formal education. Sometimes when you want to do something, you'll have a much easier time if you just get a formal education in that topic. If you find yourself struggling, consider this option. It doesn't have to mean school: for crafts, technical projects, and other activities, you may be able to apprentice in order to learn the skills you want.

4

Take things one step at a time. Don't expect that whatever it is you're doing is just going to happen overnight. Things that are hard to do or skills that are rare are hard to do or rare because they take a great deal of time to learn. Stay dedicated and just take things one step at a time. You'll get there eventually.

5

Stay focused. If you really want to learn to do something, it's going to take at least a certain amount of focus. Don't jump from one thing to the next and then be surprised that you can't do anything you try to learn. Skills take dedication. Focus and you'll be there before you know it.

6

Keep up your determination. Don't lose steam. This is how most people end up not doing the things they really want to do. Yes, things may get hard and sometimes the boring parts of life get in the way, but you have to just sit down and power through it. You'll like the person that you are when you reach the other end.

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Part Four of Four:Finding Everything With wikiHow

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Believe that wikiHow has everything. Because wikiHow is built by average people like you, our articles cover just about every subject! Understand that even if what you're looking for is very specific, we may very well have it covered. If we don't, we'd love it if you helped out other people like you by building a how-to for us once you figure it out!

Find these and so many more from our main page. Click our logo at the top to navigate to our main page. From there, you can find loads of other great articles. You can also use our search bar! And remember, if you have just about anything you need to learn: there's a wikiHow! for that.

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Community Q&A

You can sneak and just follow them around. If they suspect someone spying on the them just walk the other direction or jump into a store or somewhere.

How do I master the computer?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

If you are a beginner and don't know anything, search anything to help you on Google. If you want to get into programming but you don't know anything about it, take online courses, such as the Code Academy.

How can I say no without hurting anybody?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Say no politely but firmly. In certain situations, explaining your reasons can sometimes help to soften the rejection. Keep in mind that, in some cases, you can't say no without offending or hurting people because some people don't accept healthy boundaries.

How can I improve my WiFi?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Get a new router.

Does this also make me fly?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

No, this advice applies only to things that can actually be done by humans. Although you could learn to fly an airplane or even use a jetpack when you're old enough, if you wanted to.

How do I reheat a frozen meat pie?

Answered by
Daniel Rickman

It really depends on how big the meat pie is. If it's been cut into slices and then frozen, microwave for 0:45-1:15 minutes on a medium-high power level (8 or 9). If in an oven, cook for 5-6 minutes at 300°F (149°C). Be sure to let it sit for 30 seconds afterwards.

How do I update Minecraft for the Xbox 360 edition?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Generally the upgrades will come automatically. If they aren't, check your options menu and look for the option to update automatically.

How can I remove a cat urine smell from a home that allows cats to roam freely for months or longer?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

You may need to use a few products, including disinfectant and air freshener. You also may need to replace the carpet throughout the house.

When writing a letter, do I address a congresswoman using a special title?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

On the envelope, you should address her as "The Honorable [fill in the name]." For the letter's salutation, "Dear Ms. [fill in the name]" will suffice.

How do I place my utensils on a plate after a meal?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

When you pause during eating but have not finished, place your knife and fork in an X position on your plate. This alerts your waiter that you're not finished. To signal that you're finished eating, your fork and knife should be left together and parallel, at the 11 o'clock position.

Tips

Don't care what anyone else says about what you want to do just believe in yourself and follow your dreams. Good luck.

Fear of failing, or of embarrassment will ruin your life. Get used to the fact that you will not be good at whatever it is for quite some time. That is the learning process. Don't let that stop you. Hemingway was not born a great writer. Everybody sucked at some point in their evolution.

The fear of the unknown prevents many people from doing things. In order to love your life, you must not be afraid to. Every person has different ways of overcoming this fear, whether it be getting help, approaching slowly, or just doing it head-on. Remember in life, time does not depend on you and you must adapt to the situations you're put in. That's truly how you overcome this fear.